Guest Blog: Max out 2022 by Hilary Laxson
Max out 2022 and Stay in the Fight!
by Hilary Laxson
MAX out 2022 and Stay in the Fight!
By Hilary Laxson
Are you on track to max out your child’s success in 2022? As a parent, there really isn’t a good handbook to navigate Special Education. If one existed, it would probably look like Chutes and Ladders. Almost two years into a pandemic called COVID we have learned a lot about the Special Education Fight with our kids at home.
How can you make sure your child maxes out their resources from school, Tricare, and private resources in 2022?
Here’s a key lesson no one is telling people in the military. You have the distinct privilege of being able to not only obtain services and support from your local school, you can also receive certain Tricare-approved services like Speech-Language Pathology and Speech from a licensed SLP. There was a point when we were personally using SLP services both from Tricare and from our local school. You can get Occupational Therapy at school and from Tricare. The same goes for Physical Therapy. Learn how to max out the services from school and medical.
Here are some things you need to get done this year!
Right Now:
Schedule your end-of-year IEP meeting NOW!
Book your child for any tutoring needs for the summer (Tutoring for reading, writing, math, or spelling doesn’t stop in summer. Best Practice is year round with no more than 2 weeks off a year
Sign up for specialty camps and/or summer camps
6 months prior to PCS:
Schedule your PCM appointment and get those referrals in for other providers and testing. It is much easier to get testing done with an old provider than waiting to find a new one in a new place. (WARNING- around the country we are seeing wait times for specialty providers (SLP, OT, PT, etc )as long as a year or more so PLAN AHEAD)
Schedule your specialty providers appointments (this is not an exhaustive list):
Audiology
Occupational Therapy
Eye Doctor (Ophthalmology)
ENT (Otolaryngology)
Physical Therapy
Psychology: [Neuropsychology (ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, etc.), Child Psychology, Developmental Pediatrician (Autism)]
Speech-Language Pathology
NOTE: Testing from a Neuropsychologist, Audiologist, or any other provider needs to be repeated every 2-years to 3 years til your child finishes college or post-college.
Search for new schools, providers, and tutors in your new PCS Location
Is your child struggling to read, write, spell or do math? Did you know federal law entitles you to a no cost to you Evaluation for Special Education Services once a year for anyone who lives in the local district? This includes Migrants, Homeless, Military, Wards of the State, and anyone who attends any private or public school in the local school district. Here is a free sample letter provided by Parent Center. Send this letter to your local Head of Special Education Director and Principal via email and USPS Mail. You can find this person’s name and information by googling “Your local school district” and “Head of Special Education or Director Special Education or Student Services Director.” Once you give consent federal law gives them 60 days to evaluate your student for all areas of suspected disability. Some states have faster timelines so make sure you google your state's Parents Rights or Parent Safeguards.
Lucky for you if you're reading this you are potentially eligible for help from SEALKIDS. Ask for help using this link. Spring Grants are already in process, but mark your calendar for the next application window: June 1st-11th, 2022.
Here are some other resources available to you if your child has a learning difference:
Worldwide
Decoding Dyslexia Military
California/San Diego Region
San Diego Military Families of Special Education
Virginia
Decoding Dyslexia VA
Faces of Dyslexia Virginia
Hilary Laxson was a Coast Guard spouse for 12 years and has been in the military community since 2000. She graduated from the University of Denver in 1999 with a BSBA in Finance and obtained a graduate-level paralegal degree in 2000 from the University of San Diego.
She spent time in California, Georgia, and Hawaii as a Coast Guard Family member. She has a child with severe dyslexia and other learning disabilities in high school. She’s the parent volunteer for Decoding Dyslexia Military for Georgia and is actively involved in advocacy for active-duty families in the State of Georgia. Last February, she attended “Say Dyslexia” Day to help bring more attention to dyslexia in the State of Georgia. Georgia passed SB48 “the Dyslexia Law” in 2019. She runs a parent support group on Facebook called Warrior Parents of Dyslexics for parents all over the USA who need help navigating the world of dyslexia. You can find her on Facebook Here. Feel free to send any questions.